NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — We know many of you are watching your money very closely right now, which is why we are keeping close tabs on Nashville's proposed budget. Right now, Metro Council is hammering out details to finalize things, and part of that process means many agencies are asking for more money.
Here's a closer look at one program the police are hoping will receive a financial boost. It's called the Alternative Police Response Unit or APR.
It began in 2022, and it's made up of almost 50 retired police officers. They are part-time positions, with retired officers working about 19 hours per week. They handle non-emergency calls, utilizing their years of experience, freeing up active duty officers to get to emergency calls faster.
"If your motor vehicle gets broken into or you're a victim of fraud or criminal impersonation, or personal property crimes," said Bill Fox, a staff member in the APR program. Fox started working with APR after he retired from the police department.
This is one of the programs Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake asked the Metro Council to consider funding directly at a price tag of $1.8 million. In the current budget discussions, the APR is paired with some other programs in a larger funding request for around $9.4 million.
Captain Jessica Ware said right now, the only money to pay for the APR unit comes from unfilled police officer positions. "This is a completely unfunded unit," Ware said.
She's worried that without additional funding, the program would go away when those jobs are filled. "When we're fully staffed, which we are getting really close to as a department, I'm not sure if we don't have the money to pay their salaries," Ware said.
Right now, police said APR handles about a fifth of the calls to the police department.
Ware said the department would need more officers on the street to do the same amount of work accomplished by the retirees in the office because there's no travel time for them.
According to Ware, the part-time schedule helps save money in the long run since the department doesn't have to pay for vehicles or benefits. The pay for the retirees is about $46,000 per year.
Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell provided a statement about the APR program:
Mayor O'Connell hopes MNPD will use their budget allocation to sustain the Alternative Police Response unit as much as possible.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at robb.coles@newschannel5.com.
Happy Birthday to the YMCA of Middle TN. They just celebrated their 150th anniversary! A lot has changed with the Y over the years. I have personally seen some of that firsthand when I was a long-time board member at the Northwest Family Y and part of their Black Achievers Program. Forrest Sanders has a look back.
- Lelan Statom
